The effect of theraplay play therapy on early social behavior and temperament

This study investigated the short-term impacts of Theraplay play therapy on temperament and early positive social behaviors in infants and children. The research sample consisted of 30 caregiver-child pairs aged between 18 and 34 months. Over 8 weeks, these participants participated in weekly Theraplay group therapy sessions. The primary data collection instrument was the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ), designed for children aged 18–36 months. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data to comprehensively evaluate the therapy’s effectiveness. Quantitative data were collected using a pretest-posttest control group design. The pretest scores from the ECBQ for the experimental and control groups were first compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Following the therapy sessions, differences between pretest and posttest scores within each group were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. Finally, posttest scores were again compared between the experimental and control groups using the Mann-Whitney U test. Qualitative data were collected through observations and reflective journal entries made during and after the therapy sessions, allowing for detailed insights into changes in children's behavior and emotional responses. The results demonstrated that the eight-week Theraplay intervention, an attachment-based play therapy, significantly impacted the behavioral and emotional development of early childhood. Specifically, there were noticeable reductions in negative temperament traits such as fear, frustration, sadness, and shyness. Furthermore, the therapy enhanced children’s attention span, focus, affectionate behaviors (like hugging), and overall emotional expressiveness, particularly in physical contact behaviors.